Feedeeic a



(Model.)

P.A.LANB. CLOCK.

No. 436,583. t Patented Sept. 16, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERIC A. LANE, OF NEV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOFRANK E. MORGAN, OF SAME PLACE.

CLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 436,583, datedSeptember 16, 18.90.

Application filed September 30, 1889. Serial No. 325,479. (Model) To LZZwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERIC A. LANE, of New Haven, in the county of NewHaven and State of Connecticut, have invented new Improvements inClocks; and do hereby declare the following, when taken in connectionwith accompanying drawings, and the letters of reference marked thereon,to be a full, clear, and exact description. of the same, and which saiddrawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure l, a view in front elevation of one form which a clock embodying`my invention may assume; Fig. 2, a plan view thereof; Fig. 3, a view invertical section on line A B of Fig. l, and Fig. 4 a modificationshowing the use of more than one equalizing-wheel.

My invention relates to au improvement in clocks, the object being tolengthen the running time of a clock without increasing its motivepower, whereby economy of material, labor, and space is secured, as wellas increased durability in use, and whereby a clock of standardpatternmay be converted bythe addition of one or more wheels to run forone, eight, fourteen, or thirty days, or for any other desired time.

Vith these ends in view my invention consists in a clock having one ormore equalizing-wheels interposed between its time-train and dial-workto harmonize the action of the latter with the beating of the pendulum.

As herein shown, the clock is provided with a single equalizing-wheel A,located on the outside ot the front plate B of the movementframe andsecured to one end of an arbor C, which corresponds in its relation tothe timetrain D of the clock to the center arbor of an ordinary clock.This equalizingwheel meshes into the cannon-pinion E, which is mountedupon a stud F, secured tothe frameplate B in the position occupied bythe center arbor of an ordinary clock;

The dial-wheel G, the pinion H thereof, and the hour socket-wheel I,which,together with the said cannon-pinion, constitute the dialwork ofthe clock, are all of ordinary. construction, as is also theti1ne-train,myinvention in the clock shown being represented solely bythe equalizing-wheel A,which is interposed between the time-train andthe dialwork. The function of this wheel, as has been described, is toharmonize the action of the dial-work with the beating of the pendulumand to compensate for a reduced rate of speed in the time-train,although it is conceived that clocks may be made under my invention inwhich the time-train will have a greaterrate of speed than thedial-work.

It is evident that in order to keep correct 6o time the rate of thependulum and the rate of the cannon-pinion and the hour socketwheel mustremain in constant harmony; but it is not necessary that the time-trainshould harmonize in its rate of actuation with either 6 5 the pendulumor the dial-work, provided only that what variation there maybe betweenthe action oi' the pendulum, the time-train, and the dial-work beaccounted for; and it is the object of my invention to provide for 7orunning the time-train much faster or slower than the dial-work andaccounting for the variation by equalizing mechanism, which takes theform ot ono or more equalizingwheels.

Ordinarily my invention will be applied to the construction of clocks inwhich the timetrain is run at an abnormally-slow rate of speed, wherebythe power of a spring is distributed over a much longer space of time 8othan in any clock heretofore constructed with a spring of the samepower. In clocks so constructed it will not do to have the ordinaryconnection between the time-train and the dial-work, for in that casethe dial-work would 8 5 not go fast enough to keep correct time; butmeans must be provided to compensate for the slower rate of movement inthe timetrain to equalize the action of the dial-Work with the pendulum.I therefore interpose an 9o equalizing-wheel between the time-train andthe dial-work, the number of leaves in this wheel being proportioned tothe reduced rate of movement in the time-train. The slower the rate ofrotation in the time-train the more 9 5 the equalization required toaccount forit, and this demand may be filled by increasing the size ofthe equalizing-wheel or by employing more than one equalizing wheelconstructed under well-known principles of gearing. 1 oo Themodification shown by Fig. 4 of the drawings shows ay construction inwhich an additional equalizing-wheel J and pinion K v its dial-work suchequalizing mechanism as will harmonize the action of the pendulum andthe dial-work. One clock therefore of standard pattern may be convertedfor use as a thirty-hour clock, or an eight-day clock, or a fourteen-dayclock, or a thirty-day clock without changing its spring or withoutchanging its time-train by simply changing the length ofits pendulum andinterposing between its time-train and dial-work one or moreequalizing-wheels, as may be demanded to harmoni'zethe action of thependulum and the dial-work. Here an important economy in the manufactureof clocks will be seen, for instead of having all of the special toolsand dies' which are required forI making each of the differenttime-keepers above referredl to, under my invention one standard clockmay be made and adapted to run any length of time desired by the simpleintroduction of one or more ordinary wheels Without any modification oralteration of the clock as an organization.

Under my invention also I am enabled to make a clock adapted to run fora long period yin very compact form, inasmuch as my invention enables meto employ a small and light spring and a simple train, Whereasheretofore clocks adapted to run for a long period of time have requiredlarge andheavy springs 4o and complicated time-trains. It is to benoted, also, that a clock constructed under my invention is much moredurable than clocks as hitherto made, first, because the spring beinglight the tension of the time-train is lightenedv and friction reduced,and, second, because the train runs much slower than the train of anordinary clock, so that the snrfaces exposed to friction do not come incontact as often.

It is apparent that my invention is applicable to all styles and typesof pendulumclocks, and I would have it understood that vI do not limitmyself to any special construcone or more equalizing-wheels between thesaid time-train and dial-work for the purpose of harmonizing the actionof the dial-Work with the vibrations of the pendulum,substan tially asdescribed, and whereby by 'change in the said equalizing-wheels thesaine movement is adapted to varyinglengths of pendulum and consequentlyto greater or less r-unning time without change of the time-train orpower.

FREDERIC A. LANE.

Witnesses:

GEO. D. SEYMOUR, FRED C. EARLE.

